Author Topic: Computer Help & Tech Support  (Read 41298 times)

Offline jadesfire

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Computer help
« Reply #165 on: February 3, 2007, 11:41 AM »
I have a few computer questions and am hoping someone can help.

First off, this new windows version.  I get updates that don't really say what they are, just say's an update is ready.  I'm too trusting I guess, because I always ok whatever it is Microsoft wants.  This time, I got a new windows version and it sucks.  My tool bar (or whatever the thing that says "file-edit-view-favorte etc"  is) is underneath the box that shoes the website you are at.  I want it on top but I can't figure out how the hell to get it there.  My fonts are all screwed up on each website and several of my favorite links don't work.

Second, how do you make an avatar?  I've googled all over the place and I can't figure it out.  I can't find a site to make my own. 

Finally, posting a picture.  Not here....at Webkinz World.  Is there a site to post a screen capture and then trim it down so it shows just the picture and not everything else on your computer screen?

Thanks-I'm too damn old for all this modern stuff and my kids aren't here to fix anything any more  :-\

Beth

Offline Rob

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Re: Computer help
« Reply #166 on: February 3, 2007, 11:59 AM »
I'm pretty sure if you start installing those windows updates, you can choose 'custom' install (or something like that) and then it will show you a list of items and you can check which ones you want installed and which ones you don't.

As for all the image related questions - I use Photoshop, but that's not the cheapest program in the world.  There are other simpler, cheaper options out there.

I'm going to merge this with our tech-help thread.
« Last Edit: February 3, 2007, 12:00 PM by Rob »

Offline jadesfire

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #167 on: February 3, 2007, 12:05 PM »
Ok-sorry about missing the old thread. :-[
Beth

Offline Rob

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #168 on: February 3, 2007, 12:14 PM »
Don't sweat it - I'm a little embarrassed because I just realized my reply wasn't very helpful, at all.  Sorry.

Offline jjks

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #169 on: February 3, 2007, 12:24 PM »
Try shrinking down your active window that has the image you want to capture so that's all it's showing, then press Alt-Print Screen to capture only the active window. It'll leave out everything else that's open on your desktop.

Offline efranks

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #170 on: February 3, 2007, 07:27 PM »
First up, Internet Explorer.  The upgrade that installed was for Internet Explorer 7.0.  You can uninstall that to go back to your previous version by going to CONTROL PANEL and then ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS.

There should be an entry for "Windows Internet Explorer 7."  The list is in alphabetical order so you'll have to scroll down to find it.  Click on it and then on the REMOVE button.  Follow the instructions from there.

If you want to keep IE 7 but just show the menu bar (File, Edit, View, etc) you can.  Open Internet Explorer and press your ALT key.  That will show the menu bar.  Click on VIEW then TOOLBARS then MENU.

I don't really know why some of your favorites wouldn't work, though.  I also don't know why fonts would be screwed up.

For the Avatar part, you're talking about making an icon that you can use on your profile here?  Those are usually just pictures that are scaled down to a certain size. 

My answer for that, and for resizing pictures might be the same; Irfanview (http://www.irfanview.com/).

It's a free tool that will let you resize, crop, convert and save your photos. 

Let's say you wanted to do a screen capture of a window you had open, you would make that the top window, press ALT+PRINT SCREEN and then open Irfanview.  Choose EDIT -> PASTE and it would fill in the screen you just captured.  Use your mouse to draw out a selection box in the window and choose EDIT -> CROP SELECTION.  Everything inside the selection you created would stay, everything else would go away.  FILE -> SAVE and save it somewhere.

Posting to the site you mentioned...Not 100% sure on that.  Once you have your file saved if that site allows you to upload then you can do it from their site.  If you're looking to host the file on-line somewhere else then Photobucket maybe?

   E...
« Last Edit: February 3, 2007, 07:30 PM by efranks »
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Offline jadesfire

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #171 on: February 4, 2007, 10:52 AM »
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!  I've fixed my windows explorer, made an avatar and now know how to post pictures.   8)
Beth

Offline efranks

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #172 on: February 5, 2007, 09:53 AM »
Just as a followup to my last post, Internet Explorer 7.0 is listed as a 'critical update' by Microsoft.  That means that if you have automatic updates turned on you will eventually get IE 7.  If you do a manual Windows Update it will also install by default, you have to uncheck its box to bypass it.

You can, however, install a registry entry that will tell Windows XP not to install IE7.  It won't install as a critical update but will still be listed under "Software, Optional" so that you can choose to install it if you want.

The instructions and file to update your registry can be found on this page.

I've been using it on a lot of computers and haven't had any problems with it.

   E...
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Offline john todd

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computer problem
« Reply #173 on: June 16, 2007, 07:07 PM »
i recently bought corel's paintshop pro photo XI. when i try to load it up it always stops at "registering modules". i don't see any way to get around the registering part, and i don't see anything that should be blocking the registering process.

i did a google search and i didn't find anyone with a similar problem.

what am i doing wrong?

Offline john todd

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #174 on: June 16, 2007, 11:45 PM »
oops, i can't believe i never noticed this thread before. 

anyhow, if anyone else has a similar problem to mine, your graphics driver needs to be updated.   if you search corels "knowledge base" it has detailed instructions on how to fix it.

Offline Diddly

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #175 on: October 15, 2007, 06:23 PM »
I'm having a problem with my HP DV9000t laptop...

It appears something is wrong with either the video card or the graphics driver; when I turn it on Windows (Vista) starts up normally but the screen stays black. It works sometimes, but most of the time I have to restart because the screen stays black. Vista has identified the error as an NVIDIA Graphics Driver problem and told me to download the update from the HP website.

So before I do this, has anyone had any experience with this before? Will this surely fix my laptop or would it be better to send it back to HP to fix since it's still under warranty?
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Offline Chris

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #176 on: October 15, 2007, 08:04 PM »
I would say with 99% certainty that it is a driver incompatibility issue with Vista (which absolutely sucks). Go ahead and try the different drivers they suggest, that should take care of the problem.

Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #177 on: October 27, 2007, 03:55 PM »
This isn't really a computer problem as it is a home networking problem.

I recently bought a new home and the original owner wired many of the rooms with Cat 5 jacks and cabled everything down to underneath the basement stairs, where conveniently, the cable modem is connected.  I've been trying to get our computers to connect to the cable modem via the Cat 5 cables throughout the house with no luck.  A friend and I have checked the connectivity and all seems ok, but when we connected a 9-volt battery to one of the connections upstairs, we noticed about 10% of the charge was making it to the other end.  I don't know if a signal amplifier would help here (btw, no one around here sells them) or if I do have some sort of problem with the connection somewhere.

Luckily, we can connect through a wireless router, so I have some sort of a fix, but I'd prefer the security and speed of the cables.  Anyone have any advice?
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Offline Chris

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #178 on: October 27, 2007, 04:21 PM »
In your basement, is there a patch panel where all of the cables from the various jacks in the house terminate? You will need to find the right port (the one that coresponds with the jack you want to use) where it is terminated and connect that with a cable to your switch/"router". Cat 5e has a specification of 328ft. before signal degradation becomes a problem so unless the cable runs are longer than that you don't need to worry about anything to do with amplification (btw, an amplifier for Cat 5e is a switch).

Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: Computer Help & Tech Support
« Reply #179 on: October 28, 2007, 12:29 AM »
Thanks Chris, I'll try to remember to use the proper jargon in the future.   ;)

A friend of mine has a few more ideas of what we could check...it's been about 7 years since I've done any kind of work like this (since I switched from enlisted to officer) so I'm a bit rusty on all of this.  Although if I had a damn wiring diagram I think I could have figured this out a while ago!
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